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Boney95
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 03:02 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I checked/torqued my steering head today and now I'm getting a knock when I push on the forks. I have to depress them a good bit to get the knock. Everything was torqued to spec, and as far as I can see nothing is binding. Thoughts?

The only thing that I can think of that I did that was kind of jacked up was when I was loosening the right fork pinch fasteners, the right fork moved up a little bit. I then took my front stand w/pin and inserted it into the lower triple to get the fork back down. Well I've got fork sliders on and the stand is not wide enough to fully insert the pin, so I put it in about half way and lifted. Could I have bent something?
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Boney95
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 03:40 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

It has to be something with the steering head. I took it through my ally, being really rough with the front brake, depressing the forks. The knock was not as severe after doing this. So I remove the bars, loosened up the steering stem pinch bolt and retorqued the stem cap nut to 42 ft-lbs. Now the knock is more noticable, as it was from the start.
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Boney95
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 03:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I can feel the knock through the bars also.
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Boney95
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 03:50 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Another thing to mention too. I took the front wheel off the other day. After that I don't remember if I checked everything, ie...jammed down on the forks, but I'm sure I did... I also rode it just after I put the wheel back on and I didn't notice anything.
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Sloppy
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 04:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

With tapered bearings I frequently see a pre-load requirement. Is there a specification to check something like turn force on the steering to make sure there's enough preload on the bearings in the FSM?

Also check your engine mount isolators.
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Boltrider
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 07:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

+1 on the front engine mount
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Boney95
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 07:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I just found out that this is normal. Thanks Steve!
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Hammer71
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 08:07 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

If what you are talking about is as follows, Pull front brake lever and rock bike forward to compress forks. While doing this you get a strange knock like sound/feeling?

If so look at the belt while doing this, you get a small amount of movement in the belt which moves the front pulley making the knock sound and feeling.
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Boney95
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 10:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

No this happens when you slam down on the bars, using a lot of your weight. The forks have to decompress a fair amount.
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Jeffroj
Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 08:58 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

My steering head bearings loosened up on me once, I retorqued them a couple times, but the knock, when ever I would stop, kept coming back. Finally I just took it in under warranty hoping that the bearings were shot and they would replace them. Nope, they just retorqued them and the knock never came back.

I think what may have happened, when I retorqued them, is that the lower triple still had a good grab on the forks, even though I took the pinch bolts completely out, preventing a good tight steering head.
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Kowpow225
Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 07:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Careful when retorquing that steering head. If they're overtorqued you can dimple the inside race giving you a notchy feel at the bars when turning. (Please don't ask how I know this.) : )
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Xbgeorge
Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 07:37 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I have a knock in my steering head. It started over a month ago and turned out to be bad bearings. They are being replaced today. 2008 XB12R 12,400 miles.
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Americanmadexb
Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 11:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I also had this knocking noise, but now since the front end introduced itself to a Ford Escort last week, i'd say the knock is unfixable!
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